Vanilla Pots de Crème

Summary

As with all custards, this is best when removed from the heat when the center is still jiggly. It's a leap of faith, but it's the only way to get a perfectly creamy interior.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half

2 vanilla beans or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Method

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Pour cream into small saucepan. Split vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into cream. Put pod in cream, too. Heat cream until steam rises. Cover pan, turn off heat and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. If using vanilla extract, just heat cream and let it cool while you proceed.

2. Beat yolks and sugar together until light. Pour about a quarter of the cream (remove vanilla bean pod) into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. If you are using vanilla extract, add it now and stir. Pour mixture into 4 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with water halfway up the side of dishes. Cover with foil.

(I tried to email you, but got a response saying I should comment to your blog instead. That’s why this isn’t on topic)
I have been a fan of you and your books since I left home for school in 1999, and I’ve been reading your column in the Times for years now.
I write to tell you that you have inspired both me asn my wife to change the way we eat. Last year I saw your TED talk and we formulated a plan to do an experiment this year. In 2009, we are not buying anything with more than one ingredient in it (with some important exceptions). The great coincidence is that two days after we started our experiment, I found your book Food Matters suddenly for sale. Of course we bought it. We read it aloud to each other and loved it, and thought how nice it was of you to put this out there right when we needed it most.
Of course, living in 2009, we are bloggin about our experience. We’d be honored if you’d drop by and take a look. But even if you don’t, I wanted to thank you for all the good food you’ve taught me to make and all the good things that are yet to come.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it, and tap to remove excess sugar.

2. Whisk the egg yolks with the all but 1 tablespoon of sugar until very light and very thick; the mixture will fall in a ribbon from the ends of the beaters when it is ready. Mix in the melted chocolate until well combined; set aside.

3. Wash the beaters well, then beat the egg whites with the salt and tartar until they hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding the remaining tablespoon of sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy. Stir a good spoonful of the whites thoroughly into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in the remaining whites, using a rubber spatula. Transfer to the prepared soufflé dishes (at this point you can cover and refrigerate the soufflés until you’re ready to bake them).

4. Bake until the center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.

6 egg yolks= decadence and clogged arteries! One is better off with vanilla yogurt capped with a decadent topping.// Mark- I sense your ambivalence- the push/pull-advance/retreat between monastic veggies and worldly succulence. It’s evident from your programs- just the way you light up when faced with a sinful indulgence and bite. Maybe you should change your name to Biteman! Happy Valentine’s Day- remember your heart for if you don’t it will remember for you. And actually, a light meal will encourage an “er, amorous” lover rather than one loggy and dulled by excess.

Tom (#1) – I don’t know the hollandaise recipe in Bittman’s book, but the hollandaise I make keeps just fine for several days (if I can keep myself from eating up with a spoon). My recipe has 1 stick butter, 3 egg yolks, 2 T lemon juice, 2 T water and some salt and cayenne, for comparison.

Vanilla yogourt with a decadent topping? Are you kidding? What would be in the decadent topping? Nothing that sticks to your arteries? I’ll stick with the 6 egg yolks. Valentine’s Day is once a year, and a little authentic decadence is called for.

It was a great surprise to see this recipe as I have been enjoying pots de creme each visit to Paris and have been collecting small jars to serve them the Parisien way. I would also love to know how to make the chocolate version.

i see nothing at all wrong with writing about indulgent food while maintaining an appropriate amount of discipline in real life, which, if you look at mr. bittman’s current photographs, he is able to do. i myself would much, much rather read about creme brulee than about low fat yogurt. i certainly light up when faced with treats, but i rarely eat them. when i do, you’d better believe that i’m going for the richest, most decadent, succulent thing i can find.

cooking light or weight watchers probably have the kind of recipes you would rather read.

This has been one of my all time fave desserts. Easy and pretty impressive if you experiment a bit.
Experiment with lemongrass, lavender, cardamom, star anise, …
I will always finish with the little torch though ..

6 eggs divided in 4 servings…..6 if you are really worried. As long as you eat these sorts of desserts sparingly and balance it all out with exercise there’s no real harm done to the heart. There are so many things to enjoy in life….its a shame to cut them out!

This is my first time making this kind of dessert, so I could use some advice. I made these last night and I couldn’t tell when they were done — even after 45 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees they looked liquidy. I took them out, let them cool, and then refrigerated them overnight, but they are still more on the liquid side than custard this morning. Does anyone know what I did wrong?

I made these too, and after 40 min in the oven, they were too liquid. So not to waste the ingredients I mixed 1/4 of liquid with 1 package of softened cream cheese and spooned into small crumb crusts (store bought) topped with a sliced fruit and man that was good.

I’m planning to make this for the first time for 7 people. Is there a video to watch, or is that too much to hope for? How do I expand the recipe for 7? Reading the comments above, should I bake them for a longer time? This is a company dinner, so please don’t let me look bad.